Of the thousands of hatchlings that successfully hatch and move into the ocean, not all of them will live to adulthood. It is estimated that only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. Threats to their lives can be natural, threats posed by human activity.
Natural threats
Naturally turtles have few predators, especially when they are minors. Crabs, ants, and lizards are natural predators of eggs and hatchlings while they are still in the nest. When they came out of the nest to the ocean their predators are birds, crabs, wild boar, and wild dogs. After becoming an adult turtles are more secure as only sharks that prey on them.
Human threats
Hunting and trade. Turtle poaching for trade is a very serious threat to the lives of sea turtles. Sea turtles are hunted for eggs and meat taken for human consumption. Their shell and skins are used in illegal craft industries. Over and uncontrolled exploitation will drastically add to the decline in sea turtle populations.
The fishing industry, by the use of fishing gear such as trawl nets, endanger turtles by being can be caught accidentally in nets and dying.
Plastic waste cause thousands of turtles deaths by eating or being trapped by the same waste. This waste is made up of plastic bags, bottles, balloons, packaging and thousands of others items. Plastic waste such as plastic bags which are carelessly discarded will be washed to the sea and become a deadly meal for any turtle. Especially for a leatherback turtle, as they can not distinguish between a jellyfish and a plastic bag.
Changes in beach formations, along with the rapid human development in coastal areas will also affect sea turtles. For example, construction of breakwaters and buildings will block turtle access to nesting beaches. The lighting of buildings off the coast will disrupt turtle nesting as turtles seek dark and quiet place to lay their eggs. Pollution of the sea has a large detrimental effect on turtles. According to experts, it will intiate and ploipherated many diseases that kill sea turtles.
